Orion’s Belt Summer 2021 Contest
Think about summer, my fellow cosmonauts. What associations does it bring? Do you think of beach parties, watermelons, fireworks, music festivals, nostalgic memories of time off from school? Or do you think of stranger, less conventional ideas of summery activities? We want to know. As the world begins to slowly emerge from the shadow of the pandemic, Orion’s Belt celebrates by holding a flash-fiction contest around the theme of “summer.”
We welcome all literary-speculative fiction writers to submit to this flash-fiction contest, which opens on July 4th and will last until the autumnal equinox, September 22nd. “Summer” is such a broad theme, we know. We want your imaginations to run wild. Still, your stories must somehow capture the essence of summer. What that means is up to you.
Guidelines
Again, Orion’s Belt is a literary speculative fiction magazine. Your summer stories must therefore contain significant speculative elements. Stories about robots enjoying a summer cookout would be acceptable. Stories about present-day lawyers taking an ordinary summer vacation would not be, even if you include a line clarifying that vacation is on Mars.
The differences between this contest and our normal submissions process are minor. Make sure your story is in someway about summer, and submit as many stories as you want. Our normal “two stories a month” cap does not apply. If you want to submit 100 stories, you can, though you must pay a submission fee for each individual story.
If you are not familiar with Orion’s Belt’s submissions guidelines, check those before you submit. The guidelines still apply, except where the above information supersedes them. Stories must still be 1200 words or less.
Entry Fees and Prizes
Orion’s Belt is a non-profit magazine. We run at a loss, and we have no lucrative revenue stream or billionaire backers. Your fees help keep Orion’s Belt alive, so we’re requiring you to donate $1 (USD) for each submission.
The winner will receive $100 and publication in Orion’s Belt.
How To Submit
Click the button below, which will take you to a form. There you will pay and submit. Please submit each story separately. It helps us organize submissions and thus not lose any of your lovely stories.
If you have any questions, send an email to joshuafagan14@gmail.com. We’re trying a new system, and there will inevitably be problems, so thank you for your patience. I and the others at Orion’s Belt can’t wait to see your stories.
-Joshua Fagan, Founder/Editor in Chief